Junk Soup: UBS Unloaded Rotten Securities on Leipzig

Junk Soup: UBS Unloaded Rotten Securities on Leipzig

SPIEGEL ONLINE - June 18, 2013

An investigation by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed for the first time the methods with which the Swiss investment bank UBS sought to palm off bad debt securities on German municipalities. It succeeded in Leipzig. more...

Ashes to Cash: Crematorium Fires Worker for Stealing Gold Teeth

Ashes to Cash: Crematorium Fires Worker for Stealing Gold Teeth

SPIEGEL ONLINE - June 18, 2013

A crematorium in Germany has fired an employee for amassing a kilogram of gold teeth and fillings that he sifted from the ashes. Three other workers are also under investigation. The establishment has installed a CCTV camera to discourage pilfering. more...

WWII Drug: The German Granddaddy of Crystal Meth

WWII Drug: The German Granddaddy of Crystal Meth

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 30, 2013

Crystal meth is notorious for being highly addictive and ravaging countless communities. But few know that the drug can be traced back to Nazi Germany, where it first became popular as a way to keep pilots and soldiers alert in battle during World War II. By Fabienne Hurst more... Comment ]

Botched Thefts: Police Warn of Exploding Train Ticket Machines

Botched Thefts: Police Warn of Exploding Train Ticket Machines

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 30, 2013

Failed attempts by thieves to crack open train ticket machines could leave them in danger of exploding, warn German police. Passengers have been urged to stay vigilant. more... Comment ]

'Bandits in Uniform': The Dark Side of GIs in Liberated France

'Bandits in Uniform': The Dark Side of GIs in Liberated France

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 29, 2013

US soldiers who fought in World War II have commonly been depicted as honorable citizen warriors from the "Greatest Generation." But a new book uncovers the dark side of some GIs in liberated France, where robbing, raping and whoring were rife. By Mathieu von Rohr more... Comment ]

Battling Graffiti: German Rail Turns to Drones in War on Vandals

Battling Graffiti: German Rail Turns to Drones in War on Vandals

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 27, 2013

In an effort to combat graffiti on trains, German rail provider Deutsche Bahn is testing a new weapon: a drone outfitted with an infrared camera. It is designed to document evidence of vandalism, which costs the company millions each year. more... Comment ]

Unrest in Sweden: Jobless Youths Suffer 'Discrimination and Harassment'

Unrest in Sweden: Jobless Youths Suffer 'Discrimination and Harassment'

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 27, 2013

Riots rocked several immigrant suburbs of Stockholm last week for six nights in a row. Arne Johansson, 65, the head of "Network for Järva's Future," a citizens' initiative promoting social justice, describes what sparked the recent violence. more... Comment ]

Stockholm Riots: Sweden's 'Urban Underclass' Demands Attention

Stockholm Riots: Sweden's 'Urban Underclass' Demands Attention

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 24, 2013

For most people, Sweden is a place of prosperity and order. But this week, a different side of the country is showing itself. Many in Stockholm's suburbs are deeply frustrated and demanding to be heard. Those familiar with the capital's immigrant neighborhoods are not surprised. By Frauke Lüpke-Narberhaus more... Comment ]

Shadows from the Past: Pedophile Links Haunt Green Party

Shadows from the Past: Pedophile Links Haunt Green Party

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 13, 2013

In the 1980s, some members of Germany's Green Party advocated the legalization of sex with minors. Now the party wants to come to terms with this dark chapter via an independent review of internal documents -- some of which show that the influence of pedophiles on the young party was much stronger than previously thought. By Jan Fleischhauer, Ann-Katrin Müller and René Pfister more... Comment ]

'Hurried Action': Germany Criticized for Late Push on War Criminals

'Hurried Action': Germany Criticized for Late Push on War Criminals

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 13, 2013

Last week's arrest of a 93-year-old on suspicion of abetting murder as a guard at Auschwitz is part of a late push by German authorities to bring lower-ranking Nazi helpers to justice. Legal experts say they should have -- and could have -- done so decades ago. more... Comment ]